Silver Pearlfish

Encheliophis homei

Also known as: Eel Fish, Indo-Pacific Messmate Fish

ALSO KNOWN AS

Eel Fish
Indo-Pacific Messmate Fish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2020

Found inside Coryphaena hippururs - Mahi Mahi — Silver Pearlfish adult, photographed at uploaded by userJohan Nortje Johan Nortje, South Africa — @fishx6 · uploaded by userJohan Nortje Johan Nortje, South Africa · December 20081 / 1

Overview

Found singly, pairs or in small schools, in the body cavity of sea cucumbers, entering through their anus, leaving at night to feed.
They feed nocturnally on crustaceans and small fish.

This Eel like fish, without scales lives symbiotically with their invertebrate host. The host can often be clams, sea cucumbers, sea squirts and starfish.

How to identify

COLOURS

Behaviour: nocturnal pairs schooling solitary

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Habitat & where to find it

Range · Indo-Pacific
Country only · 1

LIVES IN

Found singly, pairs or in small schools, in the body cavity of sea cucumbers, entering through their anus, leaving at night to feed.

RANGE

Indo-Pacific

Adult photos 1

Discussion

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ALL STAGES

FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

kingdomAnimalia
phylumChordata
classTeleostei
orderOphidiiformes
familyCarapidae
genusEncheliophis
speciesEncheliophis homei (Richardson, 1846)

SourcesWoRMS FishBase